Midnight Musings
by Ultra Rodimus
Summary: Volfogg muses on his relationship with Mamoru, on a snowy night. R & R please!


Author's Note: This short fic has been bugging me all day, so I typed it as soon as I got the chance. Now maybe the plot bunny will let go of me for a while.

This is basically Volfogg musing on his relationship with Mamoru, written from his own POV. This takes place not long after ep 49 of GGG, though it is part of my Metamorphosis Saga, so in this timeline Mamoru and Galeon never left Earth. Some details mentioned obviously never happened in the series... but I am a fanfic author, and I can insert details as needed. Blame it on my overactive imagination.

Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine. I'm just borrowing them for a while

**Midnight Musings**

Falling snowflakes drift past my headlights, settling onto my outer skin, layering on top of each other. Not that I can really feel it; my armor is too thick and my systems too warm for me to really be able to feel it. I don't mind snow, except when I have to be somewhere in a hurry and the roads haven't been cleared. Snow tires in my size are not easy to find.

I sit quietly in the falling snow, watching the flakes drifting past, and just think. A slight shift on my suspension dislodges some of the snow from my sides. Another vehicle skids by, narrowly missing me. As soon as the other vehicle is out of the way I move, easing off the road and into the driveway of the house I had been parked in front of, settling behind the van already in the driveway and settling in. My sensors flick over the structure, then turn back to the reason I am sitting out in the snow, instead of being back at the Orbit Base.

I had been out shadowing Lieutenant Mamoru, as was my norm, even though the New Machine Species had been destroyed. There had been no reason to let my guard down; even though it had been defeated there was no way of telling if there were any others or not. Mamoru had been out with his friends all day, having fun and enjoying himself. I had been following at a discreet distance when the others finally headed home and Mamoru had begun to do the same. It's still not clear whether I found him or he found me; he just appeared on the sidewalk next to me and asked me for a ride home. I let him climb into my passenger seat and began navigating through the traffic toward his residence. We were almost there when I registered a change in the rhythm of his heartbeat and breathing. He had fallen asleep inside me.

It occurred to me that Mamoru had been driving himself just as hard as everyone else in GGG, and he had been wounded in the battle with the New Machine Species. The events of the battle at Jupiter had not helped any; he had been utterly exhausted. My young charge had been in great need of rest, though it surprised me to notice his choice of place to rest.

Upon my arrival at the Amami residence, I had intended to contact someone inside to come out and take the sleeping boy inside. Then, however, he had shifted in his sleep, turning onto his side and cuddling into my seats. And something inside me just melted. I couldn't bring myself to wake him, so I parked out of the way and left my heater running, watching him sleep.

With nothing else to concentrate my attention on, I allowed my thoughts to drift, to wander back through the corridors of memory, to ponder all that had happened. I quickly found my train of thought turning toward the young boy currently snuggled into my passenger seat. Settling lower onto my suspension, I allowed my mind to continue on that path, contemplating my young charge, the boy I had been entrusted with the duty of protecting, and who had become so much more to me.

How and why I became so attached to him, not even I can say for sure. At first I remained aloof, keeping my distance, watching from afar. As I grew closer to him, however, that began to change. I think the point of no return might have been after the GGG Baytower Base had been taken over by a Zonder. I had told Mamoru to find someplace safe, to which he informed me that he would not leave unless I went with him. He tied himself to the side of my helm and held on as we descended into the base, showing no signs of fear even as we faced the Zonder aboard the Submergible Multi-Dimension Intelligence ship. And then he made me promise not to do anything rash when I went out to face the Zonder Robo. He was worried about me; I could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice. And I think that was what won me over so completely.

Mamoru cared about me as more than just his bodyguard. He treasured me as a friend, despite my keeping my distance. If I didn't know better I would have sworn that he felt every injury I received. He would watch me being repaired; I could see the worry in those green eyes. After the rise of EI-01, when I found Mamoru and Captain Guy inside Pazder's body, I could tell that Mamoru was more concerned about me, with my left arm torn off and part of my faceplate shattered, than he was about himself. So small and fragile compared to me... and yet he was agonizing over the injures that I had received in my battle with EI-27.

His bravery never ceases to amaze me. He and I worked together several times, as with the GGG Mecha Parts Robo and the Micro Zonders. Even with the great danger he refused to turn back, refused to abandon anyone. Accepting the danger, even as he flew out with GaoGaiGar, riding in StealthGao, knowing that there was a chance he might not come back. So small, yet with a heart big enough to power the entire Mobile Unit. This might be part of the reason that I care for him so greatly; he cares about us just as greatly.

Even if, every time he flew out into battle with GaoGaiGar, it made me so nervous that, if I had fingernails, I would have been chewing them to bits.

He was there, watching as my AI was removed from StealthGao and reinstalled in my body. I could almost feel his relief when my optics powered on and I looked down at him. The smile he gave me was so full of it, and he couldn't resist hugging my leg. That had gotten him a few chuckles from the other members of GGG, but it had given me a warm feeling. It had shown me just how much he cared about me.

The snow had almost completely covered me in cold whiteness, though I made no attempt to dislodge it. I drowsed, keeping my scanners open for any signs of danger, my heater running to keep the cold away from my passenger. He shifted again, nuzzling against the seat and sighing softly, and I smiled to myself, settling in for the night. I had nowhere else to be, no reason to leave, and every reason to stay. Nothing could pry me away now, not Zonders, Zonudas, Primevals, or whatever else would come crawling out of the woodwork now that the Z-Master had been destroyed. Mamoru would need me in the future, and I would be there for him. I would not allow him to be harmed.

One of my sensors blipped, registering a comrade's signal, and I roused just enough to identify the signal. A very familiar motorcycle lurked just out of sight, keeping watch, and he sent be an amused rumble at my sound of surprise. I would have rolled my eyes if I could have, settling back down but keeping all my sensors on alert. Where one was, the other couldn't be very far behind... Ah. There he was. I had help in my watching.

One of the two sent me a string of clicks and electronic chatter. Telling me to catch some rest of my own; they would keep a lookout. I chuckled to myself, drowsing again as deeply as I dared, but still able to awaken in an instant if necessary. Feeling the reassuring warmth of Mamoru's body in the passenger seat and the snow still settling onto my exterior.

It was one of those moments I would forever cherish.

**Fin.**

Yes, I know, weird ; Not quite what I had in mind, but things never come out the way I had planned. Getting inside Volfogg's head is NOT easy.


End file.
